Damned If
by KuribohCoast
Summary: In the days before Saga lost his mind... M for dark themes.
1. Chapter 1

It was a quiet morning in all places in Sanctuary except, as usual, Sagittarius temple. Today it was a grand game of capture the flag, that spanned from the front door of Capricorn temple (where one flag rested) to the back door of Scorpio (where the other was hidden between a few pillars). Aioria, Mu, Milo, Aioros and Angelo were on one team, and Aldebaran, Shaka, Shura, Camus and Aphrodite made up the other. The Holy Father Shion watched amusedly from the tall windows of his temple, a newborn baby cradled in his arms, and her crib not two paces away.

It was a sunny day, which was both a blessing and a curse for the players. On one hand, the sun reflected harshy off the creamy white marble stepps, blinding the players. At the same time, those not wearing white (which totalled up to be 9 of the 10 players) were easily spotted and easily hunted.

And that amused Shaka, for he was the only one with enough foresight to have seen it coming.

The goal of the game was, as predicted, to get the other team's flag. Aioros and Shura weren't allowed to use their light speed, because that was unfair, and Aphrodite wasn't allowed to trip people with his vines, nor was Camus allowed to freeze people's feet or leave patches of black ice lying about. No, this was to be a game of raw strength, stealth and speed, with no cosmo attatched to it.

That was for tomorrow.

Milo and Mu were tucked behind a little niche in the eating area near the back of Saggitarius Temple. They could see the exit towards Capricorn, but hesitated. Past the door was out of no-mans-land and into enemy territory. The only thing that stopped them was sitting right across from them. The combonation of Shura and Camus, glaring back. There was a thick tension between the teams. Any movement by one would send the other off, in a fit of fists, kicks, hair pulling and screams until one pair ended up in the designated "Prison" of Aioros' bedroom, a captive there until the game ended...much like the irritable Cancer that had been imprisoned not long ago.

Four pairs of eyes simply stared, as if daring another to move first. The temple was silent save for the echos of slightly winded breaths emenating from the players. All four were still, not even daring to twitch, or look away for even a slight second...

And then Aioros ran by, his younger brother on his shoulders, both screaming epic warcries as they passed on their way up the stairs. Shura pounced after the brothers, but fell short as the smaller mass of the Lemurian boy plowed into his side, knocking the Capricorn down. Camus was in a similar position, tripping and wrestling with Milo, in a frantic effort to give chase to the runaway pair.

Out of his own temple and into the sunlight ran Aioros, propelling himself up the steep steps easily, even with the added weight of Aioria on his head. The younger brother whooped a bit in joy, but it turned to something akin to terror, as a small blond figure came dashing out from a nearby crevace in the rock, barreling headlong towards the pair. Aioros swore as he stopped suddenly and pivoted, barely evading Shaka's suicide charge. However, the change in stance caused Aioria to overbalance, sending him teetering off his brother's shoulders and onto the stairs below, whereupon (and out of absolutely nowhere) he was set upon by the effeminate Pisces saint.

Aioros barely paused at his brothers surprised cry and kept running up. He almost fell over laughing when Aioria cried again as Shaka stepped on a limb accidentally in persuit of the runnaway Sagittarian.

Shaka knew he wouldn't be able to catch the older saint himself, but there was one more obsticle in Aioros' way to the flag. A very large obsticle, and Aioros knew it was there – the saint of Taurus, Aldebaran. He stopped. The brazillian, - who, at seven years of age nearly dwarfed him - barred his path, arms folded and a cocky smile across his face. The small, fair indian was to his back, silent, but ready to tackle the elder saint should need arise.

Aioros shifted his stance to something more offensive. Shaka would be easy to take down, but Aldebaran would require more work – he's have to get his hands uncrossed, a feat that became harder and harder with each passing day. Aioros licked his lips, anticipating the fight with the eagerness of a child...

And then it happened.

All of the children stopped their playfighting, and heads simultaniously turned towards the bottom of the mountain. A large, unmistakeably powerful cosmo flared brightly, then dimmed, as though snuffed by a pair of cosmic fingers... And suddenly, there was no more saint of Gemini.

Aioros was the first to react, for he was simply there one second and gone the next, traveling as fast as light to the temple of his dearest friend, and leaving only a trail of barely-supressed cosmo behind. The rest remained where they were, slowly climbing off eachother and standing, looking between eachother and the empty place where the strong, loving cosmo that belonged to Gemini Saga used to shine. It was a moment later that Aioros' cosmo reached blindly for theirs, and his panicked voice rang through their heads simultaniously

"Shura! Get Shion and come quickly!"

And the Capricorn saint too, was off.

The old pope cradled the baby goddess, rocking and bouncing her in an attempt to silence her cries. He was worried, for he too had felt the sudden dissapearance of the cosmo that belonged to the boy who was like a son to him. So it came as no suprise when Shura appeared nearby, wearing only a short toga, drenched in swear and practially on the verge of tears.

"Holy Father!" he called, his voice still unbroken by his passing into manhood, "Father, Aioros needs your help!"

The ancient saint nodded as he set the wailing baby back down in her crib, "I heard him as well, child," he said, his Greek tinged with the barest hint of a long-forgotten accent. "Bring the others here, and keep them here. I shall call should we require your assistance." Shion had barely finished his statement before Shura was gone again. By the time the boy came back with the others in tow, the halls of the Pope's temples were empty, save for the shrill cries of Athena, and the anxious mutterings of the younger children behind him.

Several tense hours passed before, at long last, the tired footfalls of Aioros echoed into the main hall, silencing the nervous conversations and calming the anxious fidgets. Aioria ran to greet his brother, closely followed by Milo and Mu, then Aldebaran, Camus and Shaka. The older boys held back a moment but soon, they too were crowding around the Sagttarian, silently pleading for news.

Aioros said nothing until he'd made his way to one of the lavish drawing rooms, the one furnished with the baby cradle near the window. He sat nearby it, tolerated his brother climbing onto his lap, and silently bore the stares of the others as they clustered around them.

It was, oddly enough, Athena who broke the silence, with a murmle and a coo, probably in a bid for the attention of whoever dared disturb her rest. Aphrodite plucked her out of her crib gently, while Aioros sighed and finally looked up at his assembled audiance.

"Saga..." he began, but paused as his voice cracked slightly, though whether it was from his age or the events, it was impossible to tell. "Saga tried to kill himself just now." There were a few gasps, but more blank stares. Aioros shook his head. Many of the assembled were too young to understand death like that, not even Shaka.

"He..what...why?!" Angelo nearly screamed as he stood, only to be shushed by Aphrodite who nodded to the ever-more-distressed baby in his arms. The Cancer saint bit his lip and sat back down, and Aioros shook his head.

"I don't know. We'll have to ask when he wakes up, but for now, we should let Master Shion tend to him. You all should get back to your houses...It's getting late."

Nobody moved.

Aioros looked up and snapped "GO!" perhaps a little more forcefully than he'd meant to, for several boys flinched before rising and turning to leave. After a few moments, only Aioria was left, and the little kitten looked up at the miserable face of his brother. The expression on the elder's face nearly drove the younger to tears.

"Brother..." It was barely a whisper, but Aioros curled up around Aioria and buried his face into the mop of golden brown hair, trembling against the tiny form.

Aioria never again mentioned the tears his brother shed.


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning was as bright and cheery as the last, though there was a gloom that overrode it, as though Mother Gaia herself wept. Gemini temple was strictly off limits for any reason save for travel, and the brief moments Mu and Aldebaran spent passing through were excellent encouragements of that law, as the very aura of the temple had nearly made the highly empathetic Lemurian want to run off and repeat Saga's act.

Shaka's house was the meeting place for the boys today. The warm, comfortable furniture of the sitting room, coupled with steaming cups of a sweet concoction the blond called "chai" eased many of their tensions and drove away the miserable feelings that permeated the area.

It was as Shaka shuffled into the sitting room with a plate full of crunchy pakoras, a few spicy samosas and a number of unnamed sweets, that the large, ancient cosmo of Shion flooded the house and caused all present to jump at it's sudden appearance.

The owner came through moments later, pausing as he came across the gathering, as well as the five sets of eyes on him. His wrinkled face pulled itself into a slight smile, as he moved into the room. "Hello," he said, as cheerfully as his aged throat could muster. "It seemed wise to inform you that Gemini Saga woke up, though he's very weak. Aioros is with him now. You shouldn't worry yourselves over him. However, the rule still stands: None of you are to enter Gemini temple without the express permission fo myself, Aioria or Saga himself."

There was a collective exhale at the news of Saga's survival, but it was followed by glances that suggested the boys WERE worried, which caused the Pope to chuckle and mutter something about "good hearted lads" before leaning over slightly and plucking a pakora off Mu's plate and simply gliding away, leaving the children to stare at his retreating form and each other...

Meanwhile, a long ways down the hill Aioros paced. He was outside of Saga's bed chambers, fighting over whether or not to go in. Shion had left some time ago, declaring the saint's life in no danger. But really, that reassurance did very little for the worried Sagittarius. Really, the only track his mind was on was "Why?" "Why would Saga do this?" "What is he trying to say? To prove?"

But his musings were cut short by an exploratory prod of his cosmo by one nearby...a weak, tired one. He looked up to the source, only to feel it recede quicker than it had come.

Aioros opened the door to Saga's room.

The Gemini saint...The Demigod, as he was called, looked small, entangled in the soft down cushions and duvets that made up his bed. His normally rosy skin was almost as pale as the linens, and the dark circles that bordered his line were as dark as Aioros' own.

The Sagittarian did not miss the dark trail of tears that marred his cheeks, either.

Aioros crossed the room quickly, restraining himself from climbing on the bed with his friend, instead settling for staring pointedly at the beautiful hands that sat folded in Saga's lap, their majority covered by dull white bandages.

"Why?" He whispered, even as he felt the Gemini's eyes bore into him. "Why did you do this?" Aioros' voice rose in volume as he looked up to meet his friend's eyes.

Saga simply shook his head, and turned towards the window. "A better question," he muttered, "would be 'why did you save me?'"

Aioros clenched his fist to resist smacking Saga. "Why else?" He retorted. "I care about you, damnit!"

Saga shook his head again, dropping his gaze to his lap. "You..." a sad smile crossed his face as he continued, "you don't realize what you've done, do you?" The sharp blue gaze matched the golden eyes of the other saint. "What you've brought upon everyone here?"

Aioros took a step back. Everything about Saga was different – from his tone to his stare, the unconditional love that was once there had receded, replaced by fear, malice, and a heart-wrenching misery. Aioros was scared.

Saga leaned back, his face tilting upwards, as though seeking divine guidance. "We're all doomed..." he continued, "You...me...Master Shion and the little ones all alike...and..." His face darkened, "Athena."

"Wh...what?"

"I don't know, Aioros!" Saga cried, again turning his eyes on his closest friend. "There's something wrong with me! Surely you've felt it! Master Shion has! Hell, Shaka has! It..." Saga again stopped and doubled over, his frail-looking frame shaking in rage, sorrow and fear. A few tears leaked through the seal of tightly closed eyes. "There's something inside me, Aioros, and it wants nothing more than to see you all dead...gone..."

Aioros again closed the distance between them, sitting himself next to the Gemini. He leaned in and pulled Saga, now openly weeping, against him, reaching up to stroke the beautiful golden mane in an attempt to comfort his friend.

Saga was right though – there was something not right with him. It was, for the most part, unnoticeable, but for those who knew him best it was a distressing and depressing change. And to consider Saga's normal temperament, the notion that something so...evil could be felt within him was a though that could only be described as downright terrifying.

Aioros held Saga a bit closer. "It's okay..." he whispered, using the same voice he did with Aioria when the latter was in a similar state. "We'll get through this together, eh? You and me, buddy! That's the way it's always been. That's how it always will be..."

Of course Aioros lied, because within a week he was dead.


End file.
